Leo
The beachat the Gryphon Palace Resort was spectacular. Gulls wheeled in the bright blue sky, filling the salty air with their cries. Pale sand spread out before me, smooth and buttery under my sandals. There were other beach-goers but it wasn't crowded. I had no trouble finding a bare spot of white sand and plopping down my stuff.
I spread out my towel and sat down with a content sigh. The sand was pleasantly warm under my butt and the ocean breeze tickled my face.
I had always loved the beach, but the only beaches back home were the rocky ones at lakes accessed after multi-hour car rides, the ones that smelled of pond scum and green lake weeds. They were nice in their own way, but it wasn't the same as this.
I could really stay here forever,I thought, letting my mind drift into the fantasy. It was just me and the beach... and Maverick...
My eyes snapped open, like my body was scolding my brain. Ihadto stop thinking about Maverick all the time. There was nothing going on between us and there never would be. He was a rich and successful alpha who could have anyone he wanted in the entire world, while I was a recently-dumped omega without enough money for a return flight home. Maverick was completely out of my league.
But my brain wasn't about to give up so easily. It shoved the memory of last night into the forefront of my mind. The romantic dinner, his generosity about refusing to let me pay for anything, the almost-kiss in the elevator...
My heart beat a mile a minute and heat rushed into my cheeks. No matter how fantastical my thoughts were, thatwasn'tmade up. It really happened. Maverick leaned in like he was about to kiss me. I could still feel the warmth of his body so close to mine. I wished he'd leaned in just a little more.
Well, he didn't, all right? So get over it,I told myself.
Anyway, that was then, and this was now. It was almost noon and Maverick was nowhere to be seen, even though I'd asked him if I would see him today. He didn't answer. Well, the elevator doors closed before he could reply, but he could have shouted or something.
Ugh, it was stupid of me to ask anyway...
I shook my head and gazed out into the water instead. I was on vacation, dammit, and I was going to enjoy myself to the fullest. I deserved that much after the stupid debacle with Terry.
The tranquility of the beach soon washed away all my negative thoughts. Just sitting in the sand and listening to the peaceful waves was relaxing.
Down the shore was a family with a couple of young kids running around and laughing. Some people might not have liked someone else's noisy kids 'ruining' their peaceful vacation, but I didn't mind it. Their joyful sounds made me smile. I wanted my own someday, but obviously that wasn't going to happen without a partner.
Determined to stop feeling sorry for myself, I pulled out a paperback novel from my bag as a distraction. It was a fantasy shifter romance novel that I grabbed for a couple bucks at a yard sale. It was totally unrealistic, but it was fun as hell, and that's what mattered.
Just as I flipped to the first page to start my re-read, the pair of kids ran by me, scattering sand at the foot of my towel. I just smiled and kept reading.
"I'm gonna get you!"
"Not if I get you first!"
The children squealed with laughter, slinging sandcastle molds full of water at each other. As they horsed around, a few drops of water landed on my book. I quickly shut it and moved it out of the way so it wouldn't get more soaked.
"Are these little rascals bothering you, Leo?"
I jumped at the sound of Maverick's voice behind me. He wore an easygoing smile and an unbuttoned white shirt that showed off his bare chest. I did my best not to stare at it.
My heart did a flip. Maverick did show up after all.
"No, not at all," I said. "A little sand and water never hurt anyone."
Maverick tilted his head at the pair. "Kids?"
"Yes, Mr. Gryphon?" they said in tandem.
"You can make sure not to splash other folks on the beach, right?" Maverick asked.
They nodded fervently. "Yes, Mr. Gryphon. And sorry, mister."
"That's okay," I said with a smile.
The kids ran off, kicking off a dust cloud of sand to cause further mayhem on the other side of the beach.
Maverick chuckled as he sat beside me. He was carrying a tote bag with a gryphon logo on it. "Sorry about that. Those two are always getting into trouble."
